This article is about The New Zealand climate change activist. For the designer of the proposed New Zealand 'Laser Kiwi' flag, see Laser Kiwi flag § Lucy Gray. (No separate biography page exists).
Lucy Gray
Gray in July 2024 during her 'whole life waiting' tour
Born
December 2006 (age 17–18)
Nationality
New Zealand
Occupation(s)
School student Environmental activist Singer-songwriter
Lucy Gray is a student at the Hagley School of Music in Christchurch, and was previously a student at Ao Tawhiti school,[5] and Cashmere High School.[6] She is a national chairperson of School Strike 4 Climate activities, including marches for school students to join.[7][8] Gray is also a singer-songwriter who released her first single "Your Name" in 2022.[9] Throughout 2023 and 2024 she released singles to build up to her debut EP 'whole life waiting', which was released in July 2024.[10][11][12]
Climate activism
As part of Gray's advocacy for the climate, three marches were scheduled to happen in 2019, on 15 March (which was abandoned for safety reasons due to the Christchurch mosque shootings), 24 May,[1] and again on 27 September.[13][14] A fourth, indoor protest took place in May 2020, while New Zealand was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]
In May 2019, Gray met with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to discuss the government's plans to manage the climate change crisis.[7][16] She has spoken at the 2019 National Young Leaders Day,[17] 2019 Festival For the Future,[18] and at TEDx Youth@Christchurch.[19] In early 2020, she was a reader at the 1.5 Degrees Live! event.[20] She will be a keynote speaker at the online 2020–2021 Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainable Development Goals Summit.[21]
Gray names Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate change activist, as one of her role models and inspirations.[1] She is the author of "Rise Up", a climate change protest anthem.[22]
Music
Other than writing the song "Rise Up" (which was not released as a single), Gray has released multiple singles, the most recent of which is "Paranoia of the Mind", which released on 26 April 2024, and reached number 5 on the Hot NZ Singles Chart.[23][24] "paranoia of the mind" is the last single before the release of her EP.[25]
On 5 July 2024, Gray released her EP "Whole Life Waiting", with funding from the New Zealand on Air New Music Development grant.[26] On this EP is the previously unreleased track "Running Through My Mind".
